Atmosphere Science 10 Name: Sam Lee / Charlie Gong / Kylie Jardine / Lauren Tibbo
Introduction - The Atmosphere
The Earth is surrounded by all kind of gases. This layer is called the Earth's Atmosphere. Without our atmosphere, life on Earth will be terminated. It provides us air, water, heat, and protects us against harmful rays of the sun and against meteorites. This layer around the Earth is a colorless, odorless, tasteless 'sea' of gases, water and fine dust. The atmosphere is made up of different layers with different qualities.
How does it impact your life?
The atmosphere impacts every aspect of our life simply due to the fact that we are exposed to it.The atmosphere is mostly composed of air and water providing us with oxygen and changes the weather. currently, our atmosphere is being contaminated by the destruction of the Ozone layer, this is known as global warming. The increasing temperature caused by the destruction of the Ozone can lead the life on Earth to extinction.
The composition of the atmosphere
Nitrogen and oxygen are the most pronouns gasses in the atmosphere. Nitrogen makes up around 78% of the total atmosphere, while Oxygen makes up 21%. Combining to make up a total of 99%. This leaves 1% of the atmosphere to be made up of mostly Argon gas. Other gases, such as Methane, Hydrogen, Helium, Neon, Krypton, Carbon dioxide, and a form of Oxygen known as Ozone have been found in our atmosphere.
The six layers of the atmosphere
There are six layers of atmosphere, layers from the closest to Earth and to outer space. They are Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere. In between these layers are Tropopause, Stratopause, and Mesopause.
Firstly, the layer of the atmosphere that we are mostly exposed to, is The Troposphere. The Troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere that contains over 75 percent of all the atmosphere's gases and vast quantities of water and dust. This layer operates our weather, and has most impact on life on Earth. The Troposphere is normally the warmest at ground level and cools higher up where it reaches its upper boundary. Above Troposphere, is Stratosphere, a layer that is 30km above the Earth's surface. In this layer there are 19 percent of the atmosphere's gases and it contains little water vapors. Compared to the Troposphere, it is calm in this layer. The movements of the gases are slow. Within the Stratosphere is the Ozone layer, a band of Ozone gas, that absorbs harmful Ultraviolet rays of the sun. The higher you get in the atmosphere, the warmer the air gets.
The third layer is called Mesosphere, a layer that is 70km above the ground. The gases in the Mesosphere are too thin to absorb much of the sun's heat. Although the air is still thick enough to slow down meteorites hurtling into the atmosphere. They burn up, leaving fiery in the night sky.
The 4th layer is called Thermosphere, the layer that is at a height of 200km above the Earth's surface. The gases of the Thermosphere are even thinner than those in the Mesosphere, but they absorb Ultraviolet light from the sun. Because of this, the temperatures rise to 2,000 ºC at the top. In the Thermosphere is a separate layer, the Ionosphere. This layer extends of 62 miles(100 km) to 190 miles(300 km) of the Earth's surface.
The last layer is called the Exosphere, the outermost layer of the atmosphere that extends from 1000km above the ground. In this layer, gases get thinner and thinner and drift off into space.
Compound to this fact, there are pauses between each layer, and they are called Tropopause, Stratopause, and Mesopause. These pauses are between 2 different layers, differentiating the two layers. These pauses divides the two layers.
The change of temperatures in each layers and its pressure
Each layers of the atmosphere has different temperatures. As we move from a layer to another, the temperature of each layer changes. Starting from Troposphere, as we go higher, the temperature gradually decreases. when we reach the Tropopause, the temperature decreases as low as - 60 degrees Celsius. Then from Troposphere as we go higher above, the temperature starts to increase back again. As we go through Stratosphere, and to Stratopause, the temperature increases back up to 0. After Stratopause to Mesosphere, temperature decreases abruptly to -90 degree.Then starting from Mesosphere to Mesopause, the temperature starts to increase dramatically, as high as 2000 degree Celsius. Also, as we go higher, the atmospheric pressure decreases. The atmospheric pressure is defined as the force per unit area exerted against a surface by the weight of the air above that surface.
The Ozone layer
The Ozone layer is located in Stratosphere, 15 to 30 km above the earth's surface. The Ozone layer contains relatively high concentrations of Ozone ( O3). This layer absorbs 93 to 99% of the sun’s high frequency Ultraviolet radiation, playing the important role of protecting us living beings from sun's harmful radiation.
The destruction of the Ozone layer (And the solution)
The ozone layer is currently being destroyed by CFCs(Chlorofluorocarbon) and other substances. As a result, Its destruction is causing a critical problem known as the 'Greenhouse Effect'. Its depletion progresses globally except in the tropical zone.
Unfortunately, the harmful substances such as Chlorofluorocarbon and other pollutants such as Carbon dioxide is currently proceeding its way of destroying our Ozone layer. The amount of these pollutants can be reduced, but we just choose not to. Most of our pollutants that is causing this problem are produced from our factories, power plants, and transportation. In other words, things that are considered 'required' for us to live.
The solution for this problem is rudimentary. We need to stop using them, and find out greener energy source.
The 'Greenhouse Effect' The 'Greenhouse Effect' is a process that happens to the sun's radiation that was able to break through the Ozone layer and reached Earth. Normally, the rays of the sun heats up the Earth, and heat from the Earth then travels back into the atmosphere. Unfortunately, some gases in the atmosphere can stop some of the heat from escaping into space.These gases are called 'Greenhouse Gases', mostly produced from our industrial pollution and Transportation exhausts. This process between the sun, the atmosphere and the Earth is called the 'Greenhouse Effect', because it works the same way as a greenhouse. The windows of a greenhouse play the same role as the gases in the atmosphere, keeping some of the heat inside the greenhouse, heating up our planet.
What happens when Ozone is destroyed? As we continue to harm our Ozone layer, it will eventually get destroyed. The destroyed Ozone layer will allow a greater amount of Ultraviolet radiating produced from the sun, into the Earth’s inner atmosphere, causing 'Global Warming'.
The effect of the Global Warming As a result, the destruction of the Ozone had already began to effect the life on Earth. The destruction of the Ozone layer caused the global temperature to rise, known as 'Global Warming'. Then, the rising temperature started to cause problems to our environment. For instance, the global water level is currently rising from melting of the ice on Greenland and Antarctica. The rising temperature also results the dehydration of the grassland and turns it into desert. The melting of the ice is currently the most critical problem that we are facing today. As the water level rises, lands with low ground level started to drown underwater and started impacting our lives by flooding populated areas. Furthermore, the melting of the ice destroyed the environment in north and south poles, destroying the amount of land required for the animals to live on. As the water level gradually rise, our mainlands will gradually flood. At the end, all the lands will be flooded.
Definitions: Altitude - The height of anything above a given planetary reference plane. example, above sea level on earth. CFC - chlorofluorocarbon Tropotosphere - The lowest region of the atmosphere between the earth's surface and the tropopause, characterized by decreasing temperature with increasing altitude. Mesosphere - The portion of the atmosphere from about 30 to 80 kilometers (20 to 50 miles) above the earth's surface, characterized by temperatures that decrease from 10°C to −90°C (50°F to −130°F) with increasing altitude. Thermosphere - The outermost shell of the atmosphere, between the mesosphere and outer space, where temperatures increase steadily with altitude. Temperature gradient - The rate of change of temperature with displacement in a given direction from a given reference point. Atmospheric pressure - Pressure caused by the weight of the atmosphere. At sea level it has a mean value of one atmosphere but reduces with increasing altitude. Tropopause - The boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere varying in altitude from approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) at the poles to approximately 18 kilometers (11 miles) at the equator. Pressure gradient - typically of air, more generally of any fluid, is a physical quantity that describes in which direction and at what rate the pressure changes the most rapidly around a particular location Stratosphere - the atmospheric layer between the troposphere and the mesosphere that holds the Ozone layer
Name: Sam Lee / Charlie Gong / Kylie Jardine / Lauren Tibbo
Introduction -
The Atmosphere
The Earth is surrounded by all kind of gases. This layer is called the Earth's Atmosphere. Without our atmosphere, life on Earth will be terminated. It provides us air, water, heat, and protects us against harmful rays of the sun and against meteorites.
This layer around the Earth is a colorless, odorless, tasteless 'sea' of gases, water and fine dust. The atmosphere is made up of different layers with different qualities.
How does it impact your life?
The atmosphere impacts every aspect of our life simply due to the fact that we are exposed to it.The atmosphere is mostly composed of air and water providing us with oxygen and changes the weather. currently, our atmosphere is being contaminated by the destruction of the Ozone layer, this is known as global warming. The increasing temperature caused by the destruction of the Ozone can lead the life on Earth to extinction.
The composition of the atmosphere
Nitrogen and oxygen are the most pronouns gasses in the atmosphere. Nitrogen makes up around 78% of the total atmosphere, while Oxygen makes up 21%. Combining to make up a total of 99%. This leaves 1% of the atmosphere to be made up of mostly Argon gas. Other gases, such as Methane, Hydrogen, Helium, Neon, Krypton, Carbon dioxide, and a form of Oxygen known as Ozone have been found in our atmosphere.
The six layers of the atmosphere
There are six layers of atmosphere, layers from the closest to Earth and to outer space. They are Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere. In between these layers are Tropopause, Stratopause, and Mesopause.
Firstly, the layer of the atmosphere that we are mostly exposed to, is The Troposphere. The Troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere that contains over 75 percent of all the atmosphere's gases and vast quantities of water and dust. This layer operates our weather, and has most impact on life on Earth. The Troposphere is normally the warmest at ground level and cools higher up where it reaches its upper boundary.
Above Troposphere, is Stratosphere, a layer that is 30km above the Earth's surface. In this layer there are 19 percent of the atmosphere's gases and it contains little water vapors. Compared to the Troposphere, it is calm in this layer. The movements of the gases are slow. Within the Stratosphere is the Ozone layer, a band of Ozone gas, that absorbs harmful Ultraviolet rays of the sun. The higher you get in the atmosphere, the warmer the air gets.
The third layer is called Mesosphere, a layer that is 70km above the ground. The gases in the Mesosphere are too thin to absorb much of the sun's heat. Although the air is still thick enough to slow down meteorites hurtling into the atmosphere. They burn up, leaving fiery in the night sky.
The 4th layer is called Thermosphere, the layer that is at a height of 200km above the Earth's surface. The gases of the Thermosphere are even thinner than those in the Mesosphere, but they absorb Ultraviolet light from the sun. Because of this, the temperatures rise to 2,000 ºC at the top. In the Thermosphere is a separate layer, the Ionosphere. This layer extends of 62 miles(100 km) to 190 miles(300 km) of the Earth's surface.
The last layer is called the Exosphere, the outermost layer of the atmosphere that extends from 1000km above the ground. In this layer, gases get thinner and thinner and drift off into space.
Compound to this fact, there are pauses between each layer, and they are called Tropopause, Stratopause, and Mesopause. These pauses are between 2 different layers, differentiating the two layers. These pauses divides the two layers.
The change of temperatures in each layers and its pressure
Each layers of the atmosphere has different temperatures. As we move from a layer to another, the temperature of each layer changes. Starting from Troposphere, as we go higher, the temperature gradually decreases. when we reach the Tropopause, the temperature decreases as low as - 60 degrees Celsius. Then from Troposphere as we go higher above, the temperature starts to increase back again. As we go through Stratosphere, and to Stratopause, the temperature increases back up to 0. After Stratopause to Mesosphere, temperature decreases abruptly to -90 degree.Then starting from Mesosphere to Mesopause, the temperature starts to increase dramatically, as high as 2000 degree Celsius. Also, as we go higher, the atmospheric pressure decreases. The atmospheric pressure is defined as the force per unit area exerted against a surface by the weight of the air above that surface.
The Ozone layer
The Ozone layer is located in Stratosphere, 15 to 30 km above the earth's surface. The Ozone layer contains relatively high concentrations of Ozone ( O3). This layer absorbs 93 to 99% of the sun’s high frequency Ultraviolet radiation, playing the important role of protecting us living beings from sun's harmful radiation.
The destruction of the Ozone layer (And the solution)
Unfortunately, the harmful substances such as Chlorofluorocarbon and other pollutants such as Carbon dioxide is currently proceeding its way of destroying our Ozone layer. The amount of these pollutants can be reduced, but we just choose not to. Most of our pollutants that is causing this problem are produced from our factories, power plants, and transportation. In other words, things that are considered 'required' for us to live.
The solution for this problem is rudimentary. We need to stop using them, and find out greener energy source.
The 'Greenhouse Effect' is a process that happens to the sun's radiation that was able to break through the Ozone layer and reached Earth. Normally, the rays of the sun heats up the Earth, and heat from the Earth then travels back into the atmosphere. Unfortunately, some gases in the atmosphere can stop some of the heat from escaping into space.These gases are called 'Greenhouse Gases', mostly produced from our industrial pollution and Transportation exhausts. This process between the sun, the atmosphere and the Earth is called the 'Greenhouse Effect', because it works the same way as a greenhouse. The windows of a greenhouse play the same role as the gases in the atmosphere, keeping some of the heat inside the greenhouse, heating up our planet.
What happens when Ozone is destroyed?
As we continue to harm our Ozone layer, it will eventually get destroyed. The destroyed Ozone layer will allow a greater amount of Ultraviolet radiating produced from the sun, into the Earth’s inner atmosphere, causing 'Global Warming'.
The effect of the Global Warming
As a result, the destruction of the Ozone had already began to effect the life on Earth. The destruction of the Ozone layer caused the global temperature to rise, known as 'Global Warming'. Then, the rising temperature started to cause problems to our environment. For instance, the global water level is currently rising from melting of the ice on Greenland and Antarctica. The rising temperature also results the dehydration of the grassland and turns it into desert. The melting of the ice is currently the most critical problem that we are facing today. As the water level rises, lands with low ground level started to drown underwater and started impacting our lives by flooding populated areas. Furthermore, the melting of the ice destroyed the environment in north and south poles, destroying the amount of land required for the animals to live on. As the water level gradually rise, our mainlands will gradually flood. At the end, all the lands will be flooded.
Definitions:
Altitude - The height of anything above a given planetary reference plane. example, above sea level on earth.
CFC - chlorofluorocarbon
Tropotosphere - The lowest region of the atmosphere between the earth's surface and the tropopause, characterized by decreasing temperature with increasing altitude.
Mesosphere - The portion of the atmosphere from about 30 to 80 kilometers (20 to 50 miles) above the earth's surface, characterized by temperatures that decrease from 10°C to −90°C (50°F to −130°F) with increasing altitude.
Thermosphere - The outermost shell of the atmosphere, between the mesosphere and outer space, where temperatures increase steadily with altitude.
Temperature gradient - The rate of change of temperature with displacement in a given direction from a given reference point.
Atmospheric pressure - Pressure caused by the weight of the atmosphere. At sea level it has a mean value of one atmosphere but reduces with increasing altitude.
Tropopause - The boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere varying in altitude from approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) at the poles to approximately 18 kilometers (11 miles) at the equator.
Pressure gradient - typically of air, more generally of any fluid, is a physical quantity that describes in which direction and at what rate the pressure changes the most rapidly around a particular location
Stratosphere - the atmospheric layer between the troposphere and the mesosphere that holds the Ozone layer
Work Cited -
____http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ4SnEEdgoo&feature=&p=5354D778DD2957E0&index=0&playnext=1____
____http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGNxYtT_36I&feature=BF&list=PL5354D778DD2957E0&index=2____
http://mediatheek.thinkquest.nl/~ll125/en/atmos.htm
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/temperature+gradient
http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/03/5503-004-28914F06.gif
Work sheet - Some activities with atmosphere
http://www.geosociety.org/educate/LessonPlans/Layers_of_Atmosphere.pdf